Feature Article: My Meeting with Laval Police

DannyITR

Administrator
Staff member
http://www.montrealracing.com/wp/wp/2015/08/my-meeting-with-laval-police/

Given the amount of attention being given to the Exclusive Mondays meets by Laval police, I thought it would be helpful to meet with their public relations department with the goal of clarifying their intent and objectives to tuning enthusiasts.


MontrealRacing.com has been used many times before as a tool that police can use in order to educate and inform the community of their intent. In 2004 I met with Commander Giguère of Station 24 which is responsible for policing the Orange Julep with the goal of crafting a message for enthusiasts. Also in 2004 I met with SPVM Station 5 representatives to see if the Lafleurs des Sources meet would be allowed to continue. In 2007 I met with André Côté at the SPVM after rules on illegal modifications started being heavily enforced. This morning I met with Lieutenant Guérin of the Service de Police de Laval.


Lieutenant Guérin explained to me that the reason we are seeing a heavy presence of law enforcement around the Monday meets is due to the behavior of some of the people who attend. There is no problem with gatherings of car enthusiasts on private property and he cited the Laval Autosport Friday evening muscle car meets on Le Corbusier as an example of meet that is successful. When drivers decide to speed, do burnouts and endanger the public, that’s when the police have no choice but to intervene.


I’ve always departed from these meetings with law enforcement with an appreciation and respect for the job they are tasked with. Many of these officers are car enthusiasts themselves are some are even members of the forum (Brian O’Connor style). Any ill-will should be directed solely at individuals who ruin the meets for everyone else.


Rreckless driving is pretty much the reason every meet in the history of meets has been targeted by police. Not much has changed between 2004 and today (other than my receding hairline which is clearly documented in the photos from the articles I’ve linked above). This shouldn’t be news but every few years with the influx of new enthusiasts, a refresh is required.


Cedric Tam, who organizes the meet, made a post to the meet Facebook page asking participants to kindly observe the rules of the road. He’s been told by police that they will give him an opportunity to prove he can ensure Monday nights at Patates 2000 is a safe and secure environment. That’s quite generous of them to be honest. Let’s see what happens!



The message from police has been consistent for years:


Danny Geraghty speaks with Lt. Guérin from the Laval Police. Aug 13, 2015


Danny Geraghty meets with André Côté of the SPVM in 2007



Danny Geraghty meets with Commander Giguère of SPVM station 24 in 2004.
 
Tu est du pour une nouvelle coupe de cheveux, sa fait 10ans que tu as la meme.... Oh wait...
 
Danny I think pretty much everybody expected and already heard of the 'people-doing-burnouts-and-speeding' excuse that they gave. The issue you should have addressed and asked them is why the hell do they stop every slightly modified cars and issue tickets/inspections? If they really think that burnouts and speedings are dangerous well they should wait at the exit and stop these people instead, and not stop everyone before they go in the meet. Thats like saying no Arabs should be allowed to get in an airplane because some of them are terrorists.

There's only so much the meet organizers can do and there will always be people that do dumb shit. The cops always give out the same excuse and we all know that their only goal is to issue as many tickets as possible.
 
I think the most likely reason they're putting on such a show is to get the meet to move to a different location. Preferably outside of their pdq/ jurisdiction so they don't have to deal with that weekly MENSA meet anymore.

"I heard SM Terrebonne ain't got shit for manpower *Wink Wink*"
-Laval police public relations
 
Danny I think pretty much everybody expected and already heard of the 'people-doing-burnouts-and-speeding' excuse that they gave. The issue you should have addressed and asked them is why the hell do they stop every slightly modified cars and issue tickets/inspections? If they really think that burnouts and speedings are dangerous well they should wait at the exit and stop these people instead, and not stop everyone before they go in the meet. Thats like saying no Arabs should be allowed to get in an airplane because some of them are terrorists.

There's only so much the meet organizers can do and there will always be people that do dumb shit. The cops always give out the same excuse and we all know that their only goal is to issue as many tickets as possible.


Since people are allowed to meet on private property, tickets and inspections are punishment for a gathering which routinely has people breaking the law. It's their way of shutting it down.
 
Merci Danny de ton implication dans la communauté.




















































































You are meeting the Police since 04'.. that's a lot of timmy's and coffea
 
Since people are allowed to meet on private property, tickets and inspections are punishment for a gathering which routinely has people breaking the law. It's their way of shutting it down.

Cela demeure excessivement gênant d'avoir à agir de la sorte pour obtenir un résultat assez loin du moyen et soutient un manque assez désolant de stratégie (je m'abstiens de dire «compétence», car ils sont nécessairement compétent).

«on est pas assez imaginatif pour attaquer le problème à la source, alors fait quelque chose d'aucunement relié, parce qu'on a à coeur notre relation avec la population»

Mmm mmmm.
 
Since people are allowed to meet on private property, tickets and inspections are punishment for a gathering which routinely has people breaking the law. It's their way of shutting it down.
Then why did you speak with them about shit we already know?

Great detective work, MontrealMatante.
 
It's a good move Mr. Admin.
Let's use our common sense when showing up for a meet as such.. I stopped going to meets because of these idiots peeling out of the parking lots and doing donuts (back in the Julep and marche central days).

Also by approaching the police and discussing it shows that we're not all hooligans and it's only a minority that misbehaves.
 
Danny I think pretty much everybody expected and already heard of the 'people-doing-burnouts-and-speeding' excuse that they gave. The issue you should have addressed and asked them is why the hell do they stop every slightly modified cars and issue tickets/inspections? If they really think that burnouts and speedings are dangerous well they should wait at the exit and stop these people instead, and not stop everyone before they go in the meet. Thats like saying no Arabs should be allowed to get in an airplane because some of them are terrorists.

There's only so much the meet organizers can do and there will always be people that do dumb shit. The cops always give out the same excuse and we all know that their only goal is to issue as many tickets as possible.

This!

Since people are allowed to meet on private property, tickets and inspections are punishment for a gathering which routinely has people breaking the law. It's their way of shutting it down.

Personally, I don't feel that answers the question as to why you didn't bring it up, or present an alternative, or at minimum, the opportunity to discuss finding an alternative.

Ticketing illegal behavior is what they should be doing. Ticketing illegal mods is an iffy subject, because it either needs to be blatantly obvious or spotted after being pulled over for another offense. Handing out inspections to any and every car, illegally modded OR NOT just outside a known meet to try to shut it down is not the way to get motorists/enthusiasts to "like" you.


Suggestion off the top of my head:

Instead of sending out 3 teams during the whole evening to hand out inspections and tickets. Send out only 1 team of officers, and have them supervise the meet, so no stupidities happen. That way the meet goes on, no one gets useless inspections, and it pretty much guaranties the attendees will behave.
 
I guess giving me a ticket when I was coming back from shopping with the girlfriend was the perfect way to shutdown Exclusive Monday's meet.

Oh wait...
 
I guess giving me a ticket when I was coming back from shopping with the girlfriend was the perfect way to shutdown Exclusive Monday's meet.

Oh wait...

I don't go to these meets, too many issues. Also I make certain not to be near one so I don't end up caught up in the bullshit and get a ticket like you did. So far what's been written about meeting the Laval Police and how they conducted themselves to solve the problems is all a joke!!! Only thing I'll agree with.........too many crap cars at these meets (on the road too) plus too many wannabe's
causing problems. I have gone to a few private VAG meets this year and it's usually by invitation. Otherwise a private BBQ for fellow car enthusiasts at private homes works best!!!!!

My 2 cents!
 
Danny has always been a part of MR meets since day one..

Thumbs up for Danny for still being present ( physically or virtually ) to support our community and making it as safe and pleasant for everyone as much as possible !

And, Once more, thank you Danny for creating Montrealracing !!!!!!
 
un char de police parké dans le parking du meet et guess what, no more burnouts/drift/etc....

keep it simple stu....
 
Instead of sending out 3 teams during the whole evening to hand out inspections and tickets. Send out only 1 team of officers, and have them supervise the meet, so no stupidities happen. That way the meet goes on, no one gets useless inspections, and it pretty much guaranties the attendees will behave.

Oui mais les citoyens vont chialer que la police joue un rôle d'agent de sécurité. Que leurs précieuses taxes doivent pas servir à surveiller des ados sur le tard qui savent pas se conduire.

En plus, ça va pas rapporter l'argent des tickets qu'ils donnaient avec les 3 équipes de répression.
 
C'est justement ca le probleme. Cash grab vs. serve and protect.

Ils font l'un, mais DEVRAIENT faie l'autre.
 
One cop car parked near the exit would be enough to stop the reckless driving. And if someone is dumb enough to do it anyways...they get pulled over. That should be the strategy.
 
One cop car parked near the exit would be enough to stop the reckless driving. And if someone is dumb enough to do it anyways...they get pulled over. That should be the strategy.

No that would not work and that would be a waste of time/money/ressources. Does Laval really need to send 2 cops every night there's a meet just to go play security guard to watch over ti-counes? Are we in elementary school? And we all know that as soon as the cops would leave, people would restart behaving crazy.

The way they did it is smart. They made a big operation (that paid off by itself) and it scared everyone away for the next weeks so they don't have to deal with it anymore.


My 2 cents
 
Back
Top